New Delhi, 10 February (H.S.): Though their paths diverged dramatically, Anju Bobby George and Deepa Malik have indelibly shaped Indian women's sports through pioneering visions of accessibility, empowerment, and inclusion—as Grand Jury members for BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2025, whose victor will be announced February 16, 2026.

Anju's Odyssey from Rural Defiance to Global Glory

Anju Bobby George's journey commenced in a modest Kerala town during an era when athletic pursuits for girls remained exceedingly rare. Overcoming societal resistance and recurrent injuries, she etched history by clinching India's inaugural medal at the World Athletics Championships.

Today, mentoring young athletes, she champions visibility's transformative power: When women's journeys gain recognition, their endeavors and ambitions acquire legitimacy, affirming that their narratives truly matter.

Deepa's Paralympic Triumph Redefines Resilience

Deepa Malik's odyssey challenged entrenched perceptions even more profoundly. Paralyzed from the waist down following spinal tumor surgery, she embraced sports not merely as rehabilitation but as reinvention—her Paralympic medal transcending personal victory to shatter age, ability, and opportunity barriers.

Sport redirects focus from limitations to possibilities, she affirms.

Recognition instills confidence to advance and claim one's space.'

Everybody Can Play' Unites Icons' Legacies

Their shared ethos permeates this year's editorial theme—Everybody Can Play—a deceptively simple yet potent mantra positing sport as universal, measured not solely by podiums but by inclusion and opportunity. The award honors women conquering domains not traditionally theirs.

Nominees—chess ace Divya Deshmukh, cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, shooter Suruchi Singh, and athlete Jyothi Yarraji—vie for jury selection from exemplary 2025 performances, culminating in the February 16 revelation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar